2000
#2,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,430
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.72
Uncommon Last name
Hutson
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of hoods or hats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,193 Americans carry the last name Hutson. That puts it at #2,376 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,936 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hutson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hutson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 19,936
Census rank
#2,376
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,993 bearers of the surname Hutson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2376th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hutson
The surname Hutson has its origins in England and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hut" and "son," meaning "the son of the one who lived in a hut or small dwelling." This suggests that the name likely originated from a nickname given to someone who resided in a modest abode.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a William Hutessone is mentioned. This document was a survey of landholdings conducted during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Hutsone, Hutsoun, and Hutsun. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time.
The Hutson surname is also closely linked to certain place names in England. For instance, there is a village called Hutson in Lancashire, which may have influenced the name's development. Additionally, the name could be connected to the hamlet of Hutson's Green in Staffordshire.
Among notable individuals bearing the Hutson surname throughout history, one can mention Richard Hutson (1550-1628), an English clergyman who served as the Vicar of Hutton Rudby in Yorkshire. Another notable figure was William Hutson (1723-1795), a British merchant and plantation owner in South Carolina during the colonial era.
In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of Charles Dickens. In his novel "The Pickwick Papers," published in 1837, one of the characters is referred to as Mr. Hutson, a bookseller from Muggleton.
Moving forward in time, John Hutson (1865-1942) was an American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1913 to 1917. Additionally, James Hutson (1876-1948) was a Scottish-American football player and coach, notable for his involvement with the University of Michigan's football team in the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the Hutson surname, showcasing its enduring presence across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hutson
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hutson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hutson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 12,081
- Black or African American10.4% · 1,565
- Two or more races4.3% · 640
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 475
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 117
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 115
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hutson
Hutson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,835
+405 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 5.37
Rank movement Down 144 places
2020
#2,376
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,993
-842 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 5.02
Rank movement Down 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,160 | 15,430 | 5.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,304 | 15,835 | 5.37 | +405 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 144 places |
| 2020 | #2,376 | 14,993 | 5.02 | -842 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 72 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hutson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,304 | #2,376 | -3.1% |
| Count | 15,835 | 14,993 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 5.37 | 5.02 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hutson bearers went from 15,835 to 14,993 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,304 to #2,376.
FAQ
Hutson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hutson?
Name Census estimates that about 17,193 living Americans carry the surname Hutson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,936 residents.
How common is Hutson?
Hutson ranks #2,376 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,993 people with the surname Hutson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,193), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Hutson.
Has Hutson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hutson went from 15,835 recorded bearers to 14,993. That is a decrease of 842 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,304 to #2,376.
What does the Census say about the background of Hutson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hutson, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.4%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hutson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (12,081 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hutson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (10.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hutson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hutson mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of hoods or hats. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hutson (5.02 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Hutson?
If you just want to know how many people are called Hutson, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.